How to Watch: Illinois Basketball at Oregon (Game 13)

The first West Coast Big Ten trip and a versatile, slippery Oregon squad loom for the Illini

Dec 29, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) drives to the basket during the first half against the Chicago State Cougars at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

How to Watch

No. 22 Illinois (9-3, 1-1 Big Ten) at No. 9 Oregon (12-1, 1-1 Big Ten)

Day and time: Thursday (Jan. 2) at 9 p.m. CT
Venue: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon
TV: FS1
Stream: foxsports.com/live/fs1 | FOX Sports app
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app
SiriusXM 372
SXM App 372

Odds and Ends

Favorite: Oregon (-4.5)*
Over/under: 156.5*
Illinois vs. Oregon all time: Illinois leads the series 4-2
Streak: Oregon has won two in a row against Illinois
Last meeting: Oregon 77, Illinois 70, (Dec. 13, 2014 at the United Center, Chicago)

*Figures as of Thursday morning

Probable Illinois starters:

G Kasparas Jakucionis
G Kylan Boswell
G Tre White
F Ben Humrichous
C Tomislav Ivisic

West Coast, here we come.

📅 Jan. 2
🆚 No. 9 Oregon
⏰ 9 p.m. CT
📍 Eugene, Ore.
📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/s8HwF9kEtg

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 1, 2025

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 1,804

The trip from Willard Airport to Eugene Airport is an 1,804-mile, 10-plus-hour trip that crosses two time zones. And while the average business traveler might shrug at the thought, staying awake in a West Coast conference room is a far different challenge than sprinting the floor, banging shoulders and staying sharp in a Big Ten Conference matchup as a jet-lagged teenager. Consider, too, that the young Illini haven't traveled well this season: If you include a preseason exhibition against Ole Miss, they are 2-3 away from home this season and have yet to win on an opponent's home floor.

Of course, there's also this: Illinois coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to the Big Ten's best road record since the start of the 2019-20 season: 29-22 (.569) in conference road matchups. Illinois has finished .500 or better on the road in four of the past five seasons.

Quick tips:

• Oregon doesn't necessarily speed up opponents the way some teams do – the Ducks rank No. 128, near the middle, in Division I pace of play – but coach Dana Altman likes to press in the full court. That makes Oregon dangerous for an Illinois club that can get loose with ball security and is averaging 11.7 turnovers (No. 142 in Division I).

• Eight Ducks players score 6.5 points or more per game, with none of them averaging more than leading scorer Nate Bittle's 13.2 points. Oregon's versatility, depth and ability to play inside or out has generally allowed the Ducks to take what opponents give them and avoid big letdowns and matchup issues.

Illinois on SI Prediction

The Ducks are a slippery matchup. A multi-faceted, flexible unit that lacks a go-to scorer and a trademark identity can be a tough one for the scouting report to get a read on. At the same time, Illinois matches up well virtually across the board and would seem to have major advantages in terms of rebounding and defense – skills that don't go away on a bad shooting night or in a hostile environment.

If point guard Kasparas Jakucionis avoids forcing the issue on dribble drives and as a passer, and if the Illini play with discipline and patience against the Oregon press, the rest should fall into place for Underwood's crew. Illinois is poison for opponents' three-point shooting (the Illini rank fourth in the country in three-point defense, at 26.9 percent), and Tomislav Ivisic and Morez Johnson Jr. are more than capable of shutting down the Ducks' interior threats.

Illinois 79, Oregon 71

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Who Is Neel Ganta, Illinois Basketball's New Director of Player Personnel?

How High Did Illinois Basketball Climb in Latest NCAA NET Rankings?

Illinois Basketball Climbs in AP Top 25 Entering Big Game at Oregon